You’re in the middle of a project when all of a sudden your computer sounds like it’s getting ready for takeoff. The sound of its seemingly inward struggle makes you nervous. What is this foreign computer noise and where is it coming from? Is it a sign that your hard disk drive is going to combust or is your computer simply getting some air?

Being that we’re experts at troubleshooting computer noise, we’re going to go over several of the common computer noises and what they signify so that, in the future, you know what to expect.

If the worrisome sounds you are hearing are only occurring when a specific hardware device is in use, it’s likely that the device is the source of the problem. So, before you begin to fret, check to make sure that the lights on your hardware devices (such as the disk drive) are not on.

Now let’s say the humming and whirling sounds have ceased to stop. This is where our diagnostic checklist comes in handy. The idea here is not necessarily to fix the problem but rather to determine which device is the culprit.

Computer Fans
Computers get hot from all of the thinking they do and are always trying to cool off. Every computer is equipped with several fans that help provide ventilation to the computer’s essential components. To work efficiently, these fans cannot keep mouse quiet.

Case Fan: These are usually found on the front or back of your computer and produce a low humming. High-pitched or unusual clicking sounds are the ones to really watch out for as they’re a good indication that the fan is failing.

CPU Fan: You shouldn’t hear more than a slight hum coming from this guy. That is,
if your computer even has a fan of this breed. If it’s making any more of a ruckus, like a vibrating or rattling, you might want to connect with a computer technician by creating a support ticket on our website.

Hard Drive:
Basically if you hear anything other than a low humming or faint whistling, it probably needs a checkup.

Computer Modem:
It takes effort to make connections. When two computers are trying to connect to each other, the computer modem often makes a loud, and sometimes obnoxious high-pitched screeching. If it sounds at any other point in time you will definitely want to contact us so that we can properly diagnose its condition.

Computer Power Supply:
This 2 in 1 computer hardware component is usually the loudest of the bunch. After all, it is both fueling and helping to ventilate the entire system.  As a result of all this hard work, the fan within the power supply can become bad or dirty, causing a pretty annoying level of noise. Often times simply cleaning the fan with compressed air to eliminate any dust or dirt will do the trick, but if not, you might be facing a replacement.

If you have questions about troubleshooting computer noise or come across something else suspicious, please get in touch with us about performing an assessment. We’re always happy to put out our customers’ IT fires!

Microsoft announced on Monday during its annual Worldwide Partner Conference that its next-generation Windows 8 operating system will launch this October. During the conference,  Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said,”Windows 8 is simply the biggest deal from our company in at least 17 years. It’s a huge opportunity for our partners, and a very big deal for Microsoft.”

But is Windows 8 Beta better? So far, the reviews have been mixed. I mean for a product whose official version is not expected to hit the market until fall, what’s all the fuss about? Is Microsoft dealing a good hand?

Let’s start with the fact that Microsoft has removed quite a few prominent features from Windows 8. The Start button and Start menu, which have been key features since Windows 95, are now virtually nonexistent. The Start button is no longer present on the taskbar (you now have to mouse over the bottom-left corner of the screen to reveal it), and the Start button that appears in the desktop opens the Start screen instead of the Start menu. While other useful features, such as the “All apps” button, are tucked away at the bottom of the screen, the new Windows 8 start screen does do a good job of presenting the main apps that are installed on the system.

Windows Aero, the visual centerpiece of Windows Vista and Windows 7, has also been thrown to the curb. Though the preview versions of Windows 8 contain Windows Aero, it has been removed internally and therefore none of its cool animations or transparent glass effects will appear in the final version of the new operating system. Instead, we’ll be seeing flat colors on the desktop.

The Windows Media Center and DVD Playback feature, due to a decrease in popular use, are also no longer included. Not to mention the Previous Versions feature (which allowed you to restore previous versions of files from their Properties windows), as well as the Backup and Restore feature, have been replaced by the new, but much more limited, File History feature.

Another change to note is that although you can still tell Windows to notify you before downloading updates, notifications of this type no longer appear on the desktop. Instead, all Windows-Update-related notifications appear on the login and lock screens, so be sure to keep your eyes out for them if you’re automatically logged into your computer.

Okay, okay, already. So there’s all this change (a lot of which you may not like), but what is really great about Windows 8 is its speed. Compared to Windows 7, the new streamlined operating program boots up at a lightning pace. Because it doesn’t take up as many resources to run, it is capable of doing so at an incredible speed. Some might also say that with the integration of several of the Windows components into the task manager, it is much easier to get around, therefore increasing workflow.

The big question is, is Windows 8 worth the wait? That my friends, is a conclusion you must make yourselves.

In an economy that is still slowly struggling to rise back to financial stability, people continue to be extra mindful of what they’re spending. Companies, which have a lot of day-to-day costs, are especially trying to be resourceful. When it comes to minor network changes for a company, even something like installing new routers or rearranging access points can nip at their pocketbook. Businesses that do not have a managed services agreement in place have only their own internal toolsets to rely on for IT support. Consequently, anytime there is an IT issue at hand, the company not only winds up paying for the actual repair or upgrade but they wind up sacrificing the time of their employees in order to get the issue resolved. That’s why it’s a good idea to look into a managed services provider.

For companies looking to keep costs down while maintaining a level of customer service, an IT managed services agreement is a perfect solution. With more advanced toolsets at their disposal, not only can the company’s IT complications be diagnosed and remedied more quickly, but they will have the ability to access invaluable data.

Here are just a few of the many benefits you’ll receive from a managed services agreement with us:

1. You will no longer have to struggle to put out your company’s IT fires. Think of us as your dispatcher, always on standby. Our support technicians are equipped with more mature toolsets and can therefore respond immediately to any problems that might surface.

2. Problems are less likely to arise. Our job is to be on the lookout for anything that might put your IT environment at risk. With our extensive knowledge we are able to determine when a system is near failure and can, therefore, take advanced measures to prevent the failure from occurring. This way you can avoid losing business caused by downtime.

3. Access to detailed data helps you make informed decisions regarding future IT capacity and performance. We are constantly monitoring the level of performance and the capacity of your company’s file system space, database size, network bandwidth, etc. This tracked information is filed away as historical data which we make accessible to you so that you can better gage what your specific device or database can handle.

4. We help you to better understand your company’s IT infrastructure by provide you with periodic reviews. At this point we discuss with you the state of your system and determine what upgrades or replacements you might need. We’ll also help you determine which technology products, both hardware and software, are most critical in the day-to-day functionings of your business.

If you feel like your system has gone awry, a TechPros technician is just a phone call away!

We understand your overwhelming need to be connected at all hours of the day but just like you, your devices need a little R&R…Your laptop especially. Unfortunately, we do not live in an Energizer commercial. Laptop batteries can only keep going and going and going so long. With a ballpark lifespan of about 18 to 36 months, laptops require extra special care…unless of course you want to be shelling out $100 every one to two years for a replacement battery. Instead of trying to swallow that one down, here are a few steps to help buy your laptop battery a little more time.

If you have a laptop you most likely use it as your primary desktop PC. It make sense–it has all the same functionality and, on top of that, its portability makes it much more convenient. What most people don’t know, however, is that by leaving your laptop plugged in you’re actually wasting battery cycles. You see, the one to two year average life span has to do with the amount of recharges a laptop battery is good for. The magic number is somewhere around 400. After that, the battery begins to lose its capacity to hold a charge and its runtime dwindles from 3 to 4 hours to 1 to 2 hours. Now what’s the point of a laptop that can only function when plugged in? There isn’t much of one. To keep your new batteries long lasting, pop them out. As long as you’re plugged into an AC outlet, there’s no reason to use the actual battery. Save that extra power for those off site meetings. If the battery is not removable then your best bet is to keep your laptop in a mild and comfortable temperature. Exposure to extreme heat or cold can damage the battery a great deal.

From a day-to-day standpoint, there are a few things you can do to help conserve your battery power. One thing to be aware of is that your laptop screen’s blacklight feeds heavily off of the power source. When possible, turn down the brightness. Think soft candlelight dinner mode.

Another thing that eats at your laptop’s battery is sound. Musical taste varies and no one around you should have to be subjected to music they might find questionable, so do your peers and your batteries a favor and mute it or tune in via headphones.

Obviously when the battery is in use, avoid plugging in external hard drives, speakers or other devices. Also keep your windows to a minimum. The less programs you have running the better shape your batter will be in. Especially be sure to limit the use of games and videos.

Lastly, set your laptop’s power-saving options for maximum conservation. If you’re using Windows, simply open up the Control Panel to change the settings so that the hard drive and screen turn off after a few minutes of non-use. If you’re a Mac user, you can find these options in the Energy Saver panel under the System Preferences application.

David Molteni…there’s just so much to say about this guy. Not only is he insanely knowledgeable about all things technology and an expert at running wires, but he can grow a mean beard and clearly knows how to rock the glasses…in fact, as Technician Team Lead, he started the trend here at Tech Pros.

David has been fascinated by computers for as long as he can remember and has been fixing them ever since he broke his Windows back in 6th grade. He’s seen technology come a long way since then but still remembers those giant floppy disks which have now, thankfully, been replaced by small USB drives that you can carry around easily on your keychain.

He started his pursuit in the IT field in 2006 and we were lucky when he came on board with our team just over 2 years ago. With extreme dedication, he works hard to serve our customers and, though his job is often hectic and stressful, never seems to lose his patience. Because he’s so passionate about problem solving, he always makes time for his customers whether that means a quick phone call or actually attending to the problem on site. And he doesn’t sugar coat anything, he’ll tell you straight up what the problem is and lay out all of your options.

But who is this guy really? When he’s not hard at work fixing computers he’s probably underneath a car fixing it…while jamming out to Tool of course. He prefers PCs over Macs, Mozilla Firefox over Internet Explorer, and Subarus over just about any other car on the market. If you want a strong opinion on something, he’s your go to.

Spreading rapidly across Iran and other parts of the Middle East, is a computer virus deemed by experts to be one of the most complex threats ever discovered. The Flame is what they’re calling it, and it sure is on fire, infecting PCs and stealing sensitive data from hundreds of computers. Though it’s said to be pretty insignificant in comparison to the Flashback malware that infected 600,000 Mac computers earlier this year, The United Nations’ International Telecommunications Union is now warning other nations to “be on alert” for the virus, which could potentially be used to attack critical infrastructure.

No one is quite sure when the Flame was created but this virus, said to be a backdoor and a Trojan with worm-like characteristics, was first encountered in 2007 by an antivirus maker and has been posing threat since 2010. About a month ago the virus attacked the servers at a whole slew of Iran’s government ministries and industries.

The virus is designed to steal information from infected PCs. It can detect and uncover passwords hidden by asterisks, record audio from connected microphones, take screenshots of data rich applications such as Instant Messanger, and retrieve data from nearby Bluetooth devices. Once a PC is invaded by the Flame, the virus can spread quickly through USB drives and surrounding networks.

Security experts who have only just began to examine the thousands of lines of codes that make up Flame, say that the virus is similar to the Duqu (2007) and Stuxnet(2009) viruses which targeted Iran in recent years. However, despite their similarities, the 20 megabyte Flame has somehow managed to remain undercover for 5 years.

While some evidence suggests Flame may be capable of wiping out a computer’s hard drive, researchers are still trying to identify whether or not, like Stuxnet, it is capable of total sabotage.  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will continue working to determine and analyze the potential impact of the Flame on the U.S .

Techies can’t drive this home enough but, trust us, this advice you really should take to heart… if for no other reason than to avoid the sheer agony of losing years worth of memories and slaved over files.

Hard drives fail. It happens, it blows, and, well, it blows. It’s probably one of the most frustrating experiences one can have with a computer especially when it, so timely, crashes in the middle of an important project.

WHY ME? WHY NOW?!!!

The fact of the matter is, sooner or later, they all come crashing down. Hard drives that is. Sometimes it’s physical, sometimes it’s mental. Head on collisions, or head crashes as they call them, are the most common. These happen when the drive head butts into a platter (the circular disk on which the magnetic data is stored). Just like paint often gets chipped off a car from a wreck, head crashes cause the magnetic media to erode, rendering both the data and drive head inoperable. This is a huge FAIL as there is no clean recovery. If it’s not the case of a head crash, the magnetic media on your disk is likely in need of a facelift. A sector on the disk is not getting the hang of the magnetic alignment, causing data to be inaccessible. Electrical problems with the logic board can also cause data on the drive to become illegible or damaged due to a glitch in communication between the hard drive and the computer system.

Over the years, as people and businesses have become more reliant on computers, hard drives have seriously increased in size in order to accommodate all of the dense data being stored. Now instead of having two platters, drives can have up to four, meaning an increase in the number of parts and a reduction in the amount of space, reducing the drives’ tolerances and increasing their chance of failure. Knowing this, get smart and invest in an external hard drive. Not a month from now. NOW. For all you know your machine could quit on you the second you finish reading this. In that case, at least you’ll be better prepared the next go ‘round.

But seriously, it’s worth the investment and you don’t even need to spend a copious amount of time scrolling through reviews because CNET’s summarized it all for you.

Now put your Facebook and Gchat convos on hold and go take care of business before you lose it.